A sale of guitars, amps and clothing owned by guitarist Eric Clapton has exceeded auction expectations and raised more than £1.3 million for charity.

Clapton fans and enthusiasts opened their wallets today as lots of memorabilia went on sale at Bonhams in New York.

I total there were 138 lots in the specialist auction which comprised of 77 guitars and 55 amps from Eric Clapton used at various stages in his career.

Prices for lots went through the roof boosted by a Russian bidder who pushed up the price of many items including a 1948 hollow body Gibson guitar which raised the most money selling for a massive £51,000 despite being valued at between £12,000 and £15,000.

All the money raised from the auction will now be donated to The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre that was set up by Eric Clapton who continues to support it as he himself is a recovered addict.

The surprise lot of the day was a three quarter sized guitar which had been valued at between £185 and £310 which finally sold for a huge £26,000.

A handwritten note accompanied the tiny guitar written by the maker of the instrument Danny Ferrington saying: “Eric loved this guitar. He said he liked the look of carrying it around and getting off an airplane with it. I always said they were professional quality toys.”

Jon Baddely from Bonhams said: “It has been a privilege and an honour working on this exceptional sale and being associated with one of the most iconic living music legends, Eric Clapton.”
He added: “Arguably the greatest guitarist of all time, Eric Clapton inspires an ever expanding fan base, many of whom made the journey to Bonhams in New York over the past few days and joined us in this remarkable auction. We were delighted to play our part in raising funds for The Crossroads Centre, a charity with a noble mission and a cause that remains very close to Eric's heart.”